A Coat of Paint Makes Everything Better

My husband and I have debated a kitchen remodeling project in our beach house for ages. While the current configuration works pretty well for us, the cabinets and countertop are original to the house, which was constructed in 1977. We’ve considered replacing the cabinets and reconfiguring the layout, but it would probably cost us at least $20,000 to $25,000.

The problem is that many of the cabinets were chipped and stained. I tried scrubbing with every type of cleaner I could think of, but the stains seemed set in and impossible to remove. I thought I might just need a little more elbow grease, but when my husband couldn’t seem to make any improvement either I decided that something should be done.

We discussed the options and decided to ask a local painter if he could simply repaint the framing and cabinet doors. At first I hated the idea of putting money into something we ultimately want to replace, but at the end of the day I decided it simply wasn’t worth spending that kind of money on the kitchen, at least not at this time in our lives.

Well the painters came by today. They repaired the cracks, sealed the holes, removed all the cabinet doors and painted each one inside and out. The kitchen looks good as new. Maybe good as 1970s new, but still it looks crisp and clean and will enable us to delay a kitchen remodel indefinitely. Okay, maybe not indefinitely, but at least for a few years.